Too Many Trees, And One Hell Of A Big Forest
by thesizzleofsimabelle22
Summary: Colby and Megan go suspect-hunting deep into the woods, and a day of startling discoveries, bumps and bruises, as well as one very annoying pair of shoes, begins! more chapters to come soon! just a friendship, not a pairing
1. Chapter 1

**My first numb3rs fanfic...i love colby, and i love megan (and miss her) so this little creation popped into my head. I love how they always tease each other, and even thouhg i don't have a funny bone in my body, i tried to duplicate it...a bit. More chapters to come, hopefully soon! enjoy and lots of r&r please!**

**Disclaimer: i dont own numb3rs, and no one from it....not even Colby.... :(**

Too Many Trees...and One Hell of A Big Forest

"So what do you think?"

Megan blinked out of the reverie she had fallen into, shifting her gaze from staring aimlessly out of the car window to look at her partner. She sighed inwardly, not in the mood for conversation after the crappy note her day had begun on. After a morning shower that had been less shower and more pathetic drizzle, she had managed to break her favorite mug, cutting herself as she picked up the porcelain shards. And just as she had been fumbling to lock the door of her apartment on her way out, her phone had slipped from her grasp into a puddle. It didn't get wet enough to short circuit completely,but the screen had been reduced to a zigzagging myriad of colors that boded ominously about its ability to function properly. She had actually been looking forward to this two and half-hour car ride, because right from the moment she arrived at work, she wanted to take a nice long nap, and hope that whatever forces were taking pleasure in ruining her day had subsided by the time she woke up. But that was before she realized her partner was Colby, who couldn't go ten minutes, let alone two hours without talk.

"So?" He looked away from the road in front of them to glance at her, awaiting an answer. She didn't blame him for trying to strike up a conversation, because she was usually a talkative person, and she knew that while she would have very readily taken a nap, Colby didn't have that option in the driver's seat. So she humored him, smiling a little. "What do I think about what?"

"The case. Do you think he's out here, or are we just taking a scenic two-hour drive?" Colby's eyes scanned the land before them. They were driving along a narrow road that cut straight through the heart a huge forest, the car bumping and lurching as the tires rolled over the uneven, rocky road surface. Trees stretched above them, reaching high into the blue, growing thickly and close together. It looked kind of intimidating, Megan observed, this army of dark trunks crowding around them, closing in so there was no escape. Megan tore her mind away from this thought quickly, focusing on Colby's question.

"Well, you know what Charlie's math predicted…he calculated the radius of possible ground that could have been covered compared to areas that he could not have accessed or where it was impossible to go, using some theory-thing or other."

Colby grinned his amused half-smile. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who refers to them like that."

Megan shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. She didn't pretend to understand math, especially not Charlie's.

"But seriously…there's acres and acres of this forests, and its not exactly one of those nice, I-can-see–for-miles forests either…" His eyes fell on the tightly growing trees, huddling secretively and casting their shadows onto the forest floor. "All we have to go on is a 'general idea', as Don called it, and who knows how big of an area that is? Even if the guy is in this jungle somewhere, I doubt we have much of chance of finding him." He shrugged.

Megan nodded. She had always had faith in Charlie's math, but now that they were actually in the forest, witnessing how huge and overgrown it really was, she had to admit their chances were pretty slim. "It's a hit or miss, but think about it; if we find this guy, not only do we close the case, and put him behind bars, we avenge little Julia, Caroline and Sophia's deaths, and probably prevent countless more. So I guess it's worth a shot, don't you think?" Megan turned to look at Colby again, who nodded grimly, sobered by the mention of the victims, two six year old girls who had been found beaten to death on a playground, the M.O. of the murderer matching a cold case of another little girl's death from a few years back, bringing this man's body count to three innocent children.

They drove for another half-hour, chatting lightheartedly and watching the consistent blur of green outside. The sun rose to its peak in the sky, but it was barely visible through the cieling of leafy tree branches.

Colby felt his stomach rumble, and he realized how hungry he was. Craning his neck to look into the backseat behind him, he saw what he was looking for. "Hey, Megan, pass me that box of Cheez-Its behind you."

Megan laughed humorlessly. "Oh, no, no, no. You are not eating while driving."

Colby groaned. "C'mon, I can multitask!"

Megan glared from the corner of her eye. "Colby, I believe you, I really do, except when I'm having a day as horrible as this one, and while we're driving on dirt path as bumpy and winding as this one, and where the tiniest swerve off the road would land us into one of those trees that I know are just WAITING for us to smash into them... I'm not in the mood to die so you can cram some Cheez-its into your mouth."

Colby chuckled under his breath, sensing that pressing the topic further would not be a smart move, since Megan's heels looked as if they could cause some unwanted pain if jabbed at his foot. Instead he changed the topic.

"Aren't we entering Charlie's 'general idea' zone soon?"

Megan leaned forward, scanning the forest that filled their sight through the windshield, and then fell back into her seat with an annoyed sigh. "I can't tell. Everything looks the same."

"More of a "no idea" than a "general idea", then…"

This day really does suck, Megan thought gloomily to herself. "Charlie and his equations…yeah I'd like to see him calculate a radius or whatever out here…everything's always perfect on his chalkboard…"

Colby looked over at Megan, surprised, since she usually persistently supported Charlie's math and never doubted where it led. He decided to tease her a bit, to lighten the dark mood that had fallen.

"Heh, too bad the Professor isn't around to hear his star pupil talk like this…maybe I should tell him…"

Megan grinned, swatting Colby's shoulder playfully. "You wouldn't."

"And why is that?"

Megan smirked evilly at him. "Cuz I know too much."

He sighed in mock-disapproval. "Always gotta bring the black-mail into it, do you? So cruel, Reeves, never letting me have any fun."

She laughed for what she realized was the first time today. "Granger, it's the only thing that keeps you in line."

Colby laughed as well, and was about to answer when he saw a dark shape beginning to emerge out of the overwhelming greenery surrounding them. "Hold on a sec…" Megan turned and followed Colby's frozen gaze, finally noticing what had caught her partner's eye. As they drew nearer, she realized what it was, and she smiled. Maybe this day was getting better after all.

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**hmmmm, what could it be?...the next chapter will have the answer....**

**R&R!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**woooo, got the next part up! i had a little writers block so this parts...eh. not much action (or anything) but i hope u enjoy! great thanks to all who reviewed for the last time! r&r**

**Disclaimer: Still not mine. darn. **

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In the distance, off the right side of the road, the FBI agents could see the square shape of a shack-like house materializing from amidst the trees, and as the car rolled toward it slowly (not long into their forest expedition, Colby had decided it was hard to SAFELY drive faster than 15 mph on this god-forsaken dirt path, with Megan's vehement protests supporting this conclusion), they saw something else that made this discovery even better. A rusty old truck with mud splatters up to its windows had been parked sloppily near the dwelling, and it matched the description of the suspect's vehicle, right down to the peeling red paint and the "Ford" inscribed on its bumper.

Without a word, Colby stopped the car a short distance away from the house, making sure it was hidden from view by the trees. Peering out the passenger window, Megan slipped her gun out.

"Well, let's go see just how lucky we got." Colby muttered, eyes bright, and they both slid out of the car, drawing their guns.

They approached carefully, knowing that the guy they sought was dangerous, probably armed, and not the type to hesitate. All precautions would have to be taken.

The shack was small and square; the walls were made out of bleak concrete and covered in faded graffiti from years past. The rain-rusted roof was crumbling in places, and the agents had to wrestle their way through knee-high weeds to reach the front door, since whatever path had been there had long disappeared. Standing on the stoop, Colby knocked on the door, as Megan stood behind, gun raised guardedly.

"FBI!" Colby called. Silence was their only response, and the papery rustle of leaves above.

Squaring her shoulders against the side of the house, Megan watched with a sharp, scanning eyes as her partner nudged open the door.

They burst into the house, arms taut as they pointed their guns straight in front of them, fingers resting on the triggers alertly. There was no response, and the agents stood in the middle of an empty, cell-like room. Light poured feebly from one high window, and Megan had to blink rapidly to adjust her eyes to the sudden darkness. Letting her arms relax a little, she looked around, feeling the disappointment flood her.

"FBI?" Colby called again, but it was pointless; the house was only this one room, square, simple and made of grim concrete like the outside, with no furniture apart from a folded up lawn chair in the corner, and duffel bag lying forlornly near it. As they turned on their flashlights to sweep the shadowed corners of the room, Megan sighed. There was no one there.

As Colby went to inspect the duffel bag, Megan rose on her toes to look through the window, and noticed something that had went unnoticed in the shadows. She walked cautiously over to the small trap door that almost blended with the floor, raising her gun slightly. Looking over her shoulder at Colby, who was still occupied with the duffel bag, shecalled softly to get his attention.

He walked over frowning. "Bag's empty except for some old food wrappers and a notebook full of scribbles."

"Scribbles? Maybe it's a code or something."

"Nah, I don't think so. They're not like Charlie's complicated math scribbles, just…scribbles. Like kindergarten kid with a pen in his hand scribbles. Or a guy having an epileptic seizure scribbles." He flipped through the marble composition pad to prove his point.

"Well, take it anyway, just in case." Megan suggested, turning back to her own discovery. "Look."

Colby squinted, and shone his flashlight where Megan was pointing to reveal the dark outline of the trap door. She knelt down, reaching out to grab the handle and pull it up while Colby stood over her, gun poised and ready for any sudden trouble. The door opened easier than she expected; it flew open and she winced at the loud clang of the handle hitting the concrete floor. From inside the hole, she heard the sound of dirt clumps raining down, but couldn't really see anything, not even with the circle illuminated by her flashlight. Megan was able to make out the dim shape of stairs, extending into more darkness. "I think it's a tunnel."

Colby looked doubtfully into the unwelcoming hole, and then smiled sweetly back at Megan. "Ladies first. Or finders, keepers. Whichever rule you prefer."

"Hey, wasn't the second part of that one "losers, weepers"? In you go, weeping loser." Megan smirked and took a step back, ready to cover Colby as he went in.

The agent crouched down, swinging his legs in gracefully into the hole before letting the rest of his body follow. His feet came into contact with solid ground fast, and he bent his knees a bit to absorb the shock. Straightening up as much as he could against the low ceiling, Colby swept the tunnel with his light, before turning around to help Megan down.

"How far do you think it goes?" Megan brushed away some loose dirt that had settled in her hair with an annoyed snort, and she could feel Colby shrug his shoulders to her question.

They slowly made their way along the narrow, cramped tunnel, more than a bit uncomfortable but still focused on their task. As they made their way, Colby felt Megan shudder next him and recoil a bit from where she had been moving against the tunnel's dirt wall.

"What's the matter?"

Megan grimaced. "I'm just trying not to think about how many ants and bugs are crawling around in this dirt around us."

Their speed increased substantially after that comment.

After about ten minutes of creeping, shuffling and stumbling, Colby noticed the lightness beginning to bloom in the tunnel, and he pointed it out. "We're getting close to the end."

"Good. Remind me next time not to wear heels when crawling through dirt tunnels. I hate bad days." Came Megan's grumbling response, just as she tripped over another rock and had to clutch at Colby's shoulder for support, muttering curses under her breath.

Finally to both of their reliefs, a hole of sunlight was gaping above them providing escape, and with relief Colby hoisted himself out, stretching out the twitching cramp in his back that had graced him with its presence while Megan crawled second, plunking down on the grass and grumpily brushing off her pants. Looking down at her, Colby couldn't prevent the small laugh that escaped him.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You look like you just fell out of a chimney into a mud wrestling competition." Megan glared. "You wear it very well though." Colby added quickly.

"Yeah, well, you don't look like no Ms. America either." She stood up, looking around at where the tunnel had led them. They were back in the woods, and she could actually see the house they had just been in, barely visible through the slits of space between the trees. "More importantly, where are we and what the hell was the point of that?"

Colby glanced over his shoulder at the shape of the shack in the distance. "You know, I doubt this tunnel was even relevant to anything. It was probably left over from when that house was built, and our guy probably didn't even know about it."

But Megan wasn't listening any longer; a flash of movement and color had caught her eye, and without taking her eyes of the spot, she motioned for her partner to follow. Wondering what she had seen, Colby drew his gun once again, and crept through the tall grass after her.

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**Is megan's day about to get better or a hell of a lot worse? gotta wait for the next part!**


	3. Chapter 3

**yeah this ones kinda short..but idk i didnt want to go into more in this chapter...thanks to all who reviewed the previous chapter, though there were few! :) enjoyyyy...and review!**

**Disclaimer: no, i still don't own 'em. i'm working on it ;P (jk)**

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Megan moved fluidly and silently, her back hunched, arms tensed, and looking remarkably cat-like. Colby was careful to match her silence, sensing the importance of whatever she had seen, and he winced every time his foot came down a little heavier than expected, causing a twig to snap or a leaf to crackle. His partner pressed herself close to the nearest tree, careful to keep herself hidden and still moving, while Colby finally caught a glimpse of their target: a man in tattered flannel shirt, with long, scraggly brown hair that hung limply to his shoulders, framing a face that seemed to have jumped right out of the security camera snapshot the agents had been given. They had found their perp.

Megan made her move. She jumped out in confrontation, gun aimed true between the man's eyes. Colby reflexively leapt out behind her, to cover her, centering his own gun for a kill.

"FBI, freeze! Hands on your head!"

The suspect looked up startled and sprung to his feet, eyes fixating on the two guns pointed at him. Not even a second's worth of hesitation flickered across his face, before he bolted, off like a shot in the opposite direction and crashing through the dense underbrush with unhindered force.

The agents reacted instinctively and immediately; years of repetition and experience taking over. They took off after their target, maneuvering gracefully through the closely-packed trees.

Colby soon drew ahead of Megan, purely out of greater strength and comfier shoes. He hurtled forward, pounding footsteps nimbly dodging any rocks or fallen branches that littered his path. Running was easy for him after so many years of practice; even the less-than-ideal terrain was a small obstacle considering his military background. The perp was still a decent way ahead, outrunning them on pure desperation and adrenaline, but Colby could feel himself gaining, and he felt the little spark of triumph flare in his chest like it always did when he knew he would win.

Megan diligently sped on, trying to keep pace with her partner, as her sharp eyes desperately fought to keep the suspect, and pretty soon Colby, in view through the narrow gaps between the trees. This became increasingly difficult as she fell behind farther and farther, not even able to blame physical fitness in place of her own stupidity. What a day to forget field shoes, really.

As her heel caught a rut in the uneven forest floor for the billionth time, Megan let out a groan of frustration and forced herself to surge forward again, now relying totally on the crashing sounds of the distant chase to guide her.

* * *

Colby could see that the guy was slowing down steadily, exhaustion finally penetrating his shell of panic, and this gave him the energy to propel himself forward, nearly closing the gap. The suspect took a sharp turn right, stumbling down a little slope of the ground before disappearing again through the densely- growing tree trunks. Colby took the turn as well, but sharper than he had planned. He reeled back a little from the harsh angle, his foot slipping on the moist leaves beneath, and he threw his weight forward to prevent a face-first spread eagle right into the mossy dirt.

Righting himself, he bounded off again, angry at the stupid mistake and determined to make up the lost distance. He had been so close! But as he picked up speed again, he found that his target had disappeared from sight. Bewildered, Colby scanned his surroundings for the dark shape of his goal weaving between the trees, but the man, impossible as it was, was nowhere to be seen.

Immediately ahead of him, Colby could make out a small depression in the ground, but it didn't worry him, so he brought his attention back to locating his target. The upcoming little slope probably required a small jump, but after all of the leaping down stair wells and jumping off balconies, Colby didn't give this easy obstacle another thought. He could make it.

And he would have made it, if it hadn't been for the 6-foot-ditch waiting on the other side, hidden by brushes and thick brambles. His feet landed ungracefully on the steep edge of the hole, and he immediately lost his footing as the loose dirt crumbled and broke apart beneath him. Falling hard onto his side, Colby tumbled down, a sharp pain blossoming abruptly where his back bounced against an outcropping rock. He finally landed at the bottom, his legs twisting underneath him. And suddenly, he heard an ominous, dry snap, and a fire exploded in his ankle, causing him to inhale sharply from the intense pain.

Oh, crap.

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Megan impatiently shoved another low hanging branch out of the way as she trekked through the forest undergrowth, breathing heavily as she forced herself into a jog up the slope. Taking off her stupid shoes crossed her mind more than once, but she knew that it would only make the situation worse, as her bare feet wouldn't stand much of a chance against the forest floor laden with sharp sticks and rocks. Even though she really wasn't that far behind Colby, the sounds she had been following were growing unsettlingly distant. And just as she wrenched her heel free yet again, she heard a sudden heavy crash from somewhere ahead, followed closely by subdued thud, and then the sounds of the chase stopped completely.

Megan pushed her way through the thick, clawing growth of the forest as fast as she could, straight toward the source of the din, as a gnawing feeling of dread settled in her stomach and the worst scenarios flashed through her mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**immm backkk....! sorry for the long wait, things have been hectic and real life kinda took over...bleh. (believe me i much rather be writing this than dealing with that) **

**First, IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: I changed a small thing in the last chapter, but it needed to be done...if you don't feel like going back and readin it, basically, when they (meaning Colby) were chasing the suspect, he mysteriously "vanished" after a sudden turn, which was what distracted Colby and made him fall in the ditch. so...yeah.**

**well then, heres the next chapter, hope you enjoy! reviews are greatly appreciated!!**

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Colby clenched his teeth as he pushed himself into a sitting position, the throbbing pain in his ankle (which he could actually FEEL swelling) washing over him in continuous, overlapping waves. The pain spreading in his back, though significantly less, wasn't helping the situation either. Grimly, he looked up at the steep dirt walls of the ditch, knowing there was no way he could get out with his ankle like this. He frowned, looking around for a tree root to grab hold of so that he could at least stand up, but his visual searching was interrupted by the noisy, rustling sounds of someone approaching through the dense forest growth above. Leaning against the side of the ditch, Colby drew his gun quietly, and held his breath.

To his relief, it wasn't the menacing bulk of the suspect that came into view, but rather the slight form of Megan, gun held steadily in a tensed grip as she peered carefully over the edge of the ditch to assess the situation. Her eyes widened as they took in the sight of Colby, leaning against the ditch with his right ankle held awkwardly off the ground and a slight grimace of pain showing in his face.

"Colby! Oh my god, what happened? Hang on…"

She quickly stowed her gun, sliding on the safety before scrambling to find a way to help her partner without falling into the ditch herself, which proved to be a harder task than it appeared. The ground was bare of any firm tree roots or handy rocks to grab hold of, and the best she could was brace herself against the soft, mossy forest floor as she helped to pull Colby up.

Finally, they managed to get him out, and Colby fell ungracefully over the edge of the ditch and onto even ground.

"Thanks," he groaned. He drew himself up into a seated position, and Megan studied his pale features and tightened jaw muscle, sure indicators that the agent was in serious pain.

"What happened? What did you do to your ankle? And where's our guy?" The questions poured out at mile a minute.

Colby snorted angrily. "Our guy disappeared. Literally, vanished. I mean, one second he's straight ahead of me, and I've got him dead-on, and then he takes a turn. I come around the same bend and he's gone. And then I'm in a ditch."

"You're ankle got hurt in the fall?"

Colby looked down at the foot in question, swearing quietly when he saw how badly it had swollen.

"It's probably just badly sprained, I'll be fi- "

Megan interrupted him sharply. "Sprained my ass. It's broken, Colby, so don't start being all macho and pretending it's not as bad as it really is." She kneeled next to him, worry beginning to appear in her eyes.

"Here, let me see it," she said in a gentler tone.

Colby had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from wincing as Megan lightly examined the damage done to his ankle, determined to not show exactly how much it hurt. It was the soldier in him surfacing, ordering him to steel against weakness and pain, for other's and appearance's sakes.

Megan frowned, and got to her feet again. "I'm no doctor, but it's pretty bad. We need to get back to the car, and call for back-up." She looked around, her lips pursed. "This guy's good, but I don't think he's good enough to disappear into thin air. He's out here somewhere, and now he knows we're looking for him, which frankly isn't an advantage for us… plus, you're in no state to keep on chasing dangerous criminals."

Colby didn't argue, because he knew his partner was right, but he felt the dragging weight of guilt settling over his head. If this guy got away, using the time it took for backup to get here, it would because of his stupid stunt. If he had been more careful, less hot-headed, he would have seen the danger; and if he had prevented that first near- tumble, he probably would have caught the guy before ever reaching the goddamn ditch.

Megan could see her friend beating himself up mentally, and she knew what he was thinking. "Don't start blaming yourself, Colby. Let's get back to the truck. Come on."

She held out her hands to help Colby, but stubbornly, he had already heaved himself up, leaning all of his weight on the trunk of a nearby tree for support. Without a word, he started off in the direction they had come from with determination, but his stride was hampered by the heavy limp, and each time his ankle even grazed across the ground or felt the slightest bit of pressure, a white-hot bolt of pain would shoot up his entire leg. After a short distance, his body was beginning to shake ever so slightly from the intense, electrifying pain.

"Hey, hey, hey, slow down!" Megan leapt nimbly over a fallen log and reached her partner, who was still stubbornly limping on.

Colby turned to her, and she could see frustration tinted with anger flash into his eyes for a second.

"Slow down? Megan, that guy is probably getting the hell away from here as fast as his legs can carry him, and by the time we actually get to the truck, call in for backup and wait the two hours for someone to arrive, there won't be a chance of catching him anywhere near here." He could feel himself on the verge of shouting. "Hell, he's probably already back in his truck right now, laughing at the stupid FBI agents as he drives away to find another damn hole to hide in. "

Colby clenched his fists, and let out a short, humorless bark of laughter.

"Of course, that's not even the worst scenario. He knows that even if we do call in backup, they won't be getting here for a while, so who's to say he's not thinking, hey, I might as well finish those two off before they call it in, then I wouldn't even have to lose such a good location. So, for all we know, he could be heading back here with a gun in his hand and murder on his mind."

He was quiet for a second, before speaking in a slightly quieter voice, though it was still just as laced with anger, and now mingled with bitterness as well.

"And it's my fault. I got stupid and over-confident, so I blew it. If this guy gets away, it 'cause of me; if he finds us, I'm responsible. Plus, I'm staggering around like an old man. I was a freaking soldier, I saw guys with bullet holes in them still picking up their guns and going at the enemy, and me, oh man, I hurt my ankle, so now I can barely walk?"

Megan stood silently, not saying a word as during the entire rant, knowing that he wasn't really yelling at her, but at himself. She felt a little guilt settling in her own stomach. If she had had her priorities straight and her mind focused this morning, she wouldn't have forgotten those shoes, and then maybe she would have been more help during the chase, maybe after Colby had fallen, she would've been able to keep going after the guy, maybe she could have caught him…

But Megan forced this train of thought out of her head, and buried the guilt away for later, realizing that all of these ifs and maybes weren't going to help her or Colby, or their case.

"Colby, blaming yourself isn't going to change what happened, or what's going to happen. Right now, our best and only option is to get back to the car and call in for backup, and wait. As for this guy "finishing us off," well, we've got guns too, don't we? We can hold our own, and you know that. So stop the masochism. And put your pride away for another day, and lean on me, it'll be easier on your ankle."

She said it firmly, but gently. Colby, eyes still a little stormy, gave in and stiffly transferred some of his weight onto Megan's shoulder, grimacing a bit as he did so because the pain in his back had obnoxiously decided to remind him of its prescence.

They began to make their way carefully toward the direction of the house and their car, shuffling through the troublesome forest growth carefully. Hobbling along, the sight they made might have been comical if the situation hadn't been so serious and tense. As it was, neither agent had humor on their mind.

* * *

Megan huffed out a strained breath as they maneuvered their way around another tricky area of rocks and brambles, and she felt an unpleasant trickle of sweat beginning at her hairline. Her shirt was all ready beginning to stick to her back, and even though only sparse amounts of sunlight could reach them through the leaves, the amount that did had no mercy.

Suddenly, their (somewhat) smooth progress was jarringly interrupted as the heel of Megan's shoe hitched onto something hiding in the grass. With a surprised yell, she lost her balance, pitching forward violently, and bringing a surprised Colby down with her. Luckily, Colby managed to throw himself onto his side to avoid falling onto his injured ankle, and with a thud the agent landed next to his partner, who was already rushing to help him, even though her foot was still stuck.

"Oh my god, Colby! Your ankle, is your ankle okay?"

Colby grunted as he pushed himself off the ground.

"It's fine, I'm fine." He grinned lopsidedly at her, trying to ease Megan's guilt-inspired anxiety."No, really, my ankle didn't even touch the ground," he assured her as she apologized again. But still, Megan continued to look worried and quite unconvinced.

"Getting a little clumsy, are we Agent Reeves?" The joke was weak, but accomplished its goal of lessening Megan's shrewd, worried gaze, though she still didn't seem totally persuaded. She studied him a little longer, and then turned back to free her foot from whatever had seized it.

Working her heel free, Megan looked at her shoe in distaste and loathing. "This is really getting old."

Colby smirked, and couldn't resist the urge to tease her.

"Well, you did pick a strange day for a fashion statement, Meg…hmm, women and their shoes are something I'll never understand…"

Megan shot him a withering glare, but he could see mirth glimmering in her brown eyes. She rose to her feet swiftly and brushing the dirt off of her jeans, she looked down at him sternly, a smile twitching on her lips.

"Quiet, Granger, or I won't carry you anymore."

"You didn't _carry_ me!"

Turning on her heel, she smiled at Colby's indignant protests, the anticipated reaction. He struggled to his feet, or rather, foot, using a tree to brace himself and she began to walk away, raising her eyebrows at him over her shoulder in a "you thought I was joking?" She actually laughed aloud at the exasperated expression she got in return. The teaser had become the teased.

"Hey, I can walk just fine on my own, you were the one that ha-"

But Colby's defense of his manly independence was cut short as Megan took another step forward and disappeared in an explosion of dead leaves and dirt clumps, the loud crunch of collapsed rotten wood filling the air, and leaving only a silent cloud of dust in its wake.

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**dun, dun, DUNN! (review, review, review!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm so proud of how fast i got this one up, i think its a record for me or something :) (hopefully this speed will be consistent hehe) well heeerrre it iss! i think the story is really developing nice, so read, enjoy and REVIEEW (please) :D**

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"MEGAN!"

Colby hopped clumsily toward the spot where Megan had disappeared into the ground as fast as he could, gritting his teeth as his ankle was jolted up and down by his uneven movements.

His stomach plummeted as he saw the gaping hole in the forest floor that had swallowed his partner. Whipping out his flashlight, Colby called again.

"Megan! Are you okay?"

Kneeling down hastily, but carefully, he swept the flashlight's beam through the dusty darkness, but it provided little aid . And then, to his immense relief, Colby heard Megan's voice drifting up to him from the black depths.

"I'm okay, just- " He heard her cough dryly a couple times. "…just winded. I guess my bad luck isn't planning on cutting me any slack today." There was a short pause before she added, her voice a little stronger. "Don't worry, both of my ankles are fine."

Sitting outside the hole, Colby smiled weakly, rubbing a hand over his eyes. If Megan was still able to make snarky comments, she was probably okay.

"Ha ha. Can you get out?" He peered down again, but was still unable to tell what the inside of the pit looked like, and how steep the sides were. He shook his flashlight roughly, frustrated by its lack of cooperation.

Inside the hole, a sore and aching Megan got to her feet, and began to feel around with her hands, hoping to form a mental image of just how bad a situation she'd "fallen" into this time. It wasn't very conclusive, since the only thing that met her touch was dirt, dirt and more moist and spongy dirt, everywhere. But she could tell that the sides of the hole were too steep to climb, and the dirt was too soft to have any reliable footholds

"Colby, I can't really see anything, my flashlight got unclipped from my belt during the fall, and I don't know where it is," Megan paused as her fingers brushed something that wasn't dirt, something metal and twisted and sharp.

"I guess my sunglasses weren't as lucky as I was." Megan sighed to herself, slipping the mangled remains of her favorite accessory into her jacket pocket. She continued to walk around, kicking out her feet to see if she could locate her missing flashlight.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna be able to climb out, not without a rope or someth- whoa!" At the far end, where she was giving the entire corner a sweep with her foot, Megan was caught off guard as her foot kept going instead off connecting with the solid wall of dirt like she had expected it to. She waved it around, frowning as her foot went deeper and deeper without any resistance. When she crouched down, she saw that the opening she had found was actually considerable in size, an entrance.

"Meg?" Colby had tensed at the sudden surprise in Megan's voice and the half-finished sentence.

"Colby, it's another tunnel."

Colby squinted down into the dark, not being able to make out his partner at all anymore, since the splintered remains of the trap door blocked the corner she had moved into from view.

"You sure? I mean, it can't be the one we followed before, that was a lot closer to the house…Wait, you think this one leads back to the shack too?"

"Only one way to find out. Since I can't climb out, this is really my only option…"

"No. You're not going in there alone."

Megan moved back into view, hands on her hips and peering up at her partner. "I'll be fine- "

"That tunnel could lead anywhere, to the middle of the damn forest for all we know, or it could be unstable and collapse on you…how would I explain to Don how you ended up buried 7 feet underground while I was out here enjoying the sunshine?...Watch out, I'm coming down."

"What? You can't, your ankle!"

But Colby, proving just how stubborn he could be, was already easing himself over the edge, positioning himself so that he could slide down on his side and reach the bottom with as little involvement of his ankle as possible. There was no way he was gonna let a busted foot stop him from doing his job and protecting his partner.

With Megan's protests falling upon deaf ears, he lowered himself inch by inch, using his upper body strength to balance. But he didn't argue when she rushed over to help him; the whole business was a lot trickier than he had expected.

Colby let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding as his good foot reached solid ground again. "Okay, so now what's the plan?" he asked, ignoring Megan's shaking head and examining gaze.

Megan moved over to where the newly-discovered entrance was. She had to bend down slightly to look into it, since this one was smaller than the last.

"Pass me your flashlight." Colby unclipped his light and handed it over.

In the light, the agents could see that the tunnel was not as wide as the last one, so only single file movement would be possible. It was cruder and sloppier too, the walls and floor unevenly dug. But both agents knew that now that they were both down here there was no turning back, and they had to follow through with the risky decision they had made.

"Okay…let's go."

* * *

Megan winced inwardly as the top of her head brushed against the low ceiling again, feeling dirt clumps getting caught in her hair. She had thought passing through the last tunnel had been difficult, but compared to this ordeal, that had been a pleasant Sunday stroll. The muscles in her sore back were burning and cramping from the constant bent-over position, and her knees were now members of the aching joints club as well. And Megan had never been claustrophobic, but looking at the cramped walls of dirt around her, with only darkness awaiting them ahead, she reasoned that that might be a development that wasn't far behind. If she was this uncomfortable, she could only imagine how Colby, who's broad build was much wider than hers, was feeling (though the frequent grumbles, curses and annoyed snorts coming from behind her gave a her a pretty good idea.)

Their first impression of the tunnel's unkempt and uneven appearance had been right. The level of the floor seemed to be constantly and randomly changing, and Megan found that she had bumped her head painfully more than once when the ceiling swooped down unexpectedly. But she suspected that the sloppy structure was more from lack of use than the result of bad construction. The dirt floor was less trampled and packed down than in the other tunnel, still soft and yielding beneath thier feet. Nervously, Megan noted how often chunks of dirt would break off from the roof of the passage and rain down on them, reminding her of Colby's earlier comment about the possibility of collapse.

They didn't talk much, other than the occasional "How're you doing?" and "No light ahead yet" when the silence got too drawn out and heavy. Both focused on keeping up a steady pace while at the same time bumping against the walls and ceiling as little as possible. They didn't know exactly how stable the tunnel was, but were not about to test it and find out.

Suddenly, Megan felt something change around them. The tunnel widened abruptly, and as she stopped, her outstretched, probing hands were met by the solid wall of earth that signified a dead end. She felt her stomach sinki like a wieght.

"Hey, what..." Colby nearly ran into Megan as she stopped short in front of him. "A little warning would be nice next time you decide to make a pit stop…what's up?" He too noticed how much wider the tunnel had suddenly gotten, as he was now easily standing next to his partner. The ceiling had also gotten higher, and Colby groaned as he stretched out his back.

Megan spoke quietly, disappointment and realization flavoring the tone of her voice. "It's a dead end."

Colby frowned, peering in the almost-pitch darkness. "No, no, hold on a sec…" Unclipping the flashlight again, he aimed the light to the left, where the wall that had been there until now was gone, and the tunnel continued. "It's just turning."

"Wait," Megan grabbed the flashlight, and shined it to the right as well. Sure enough, the tunnel continued to the right as well.

"So, it's splitting? Which way do we go to get out?"

"No…not splitting, converging! This is a separate tunnel!"

With the sudden change in the width and size, Colby saw that Megan was right. But this didn't help answer his previous question, and they both knew it.

They stood in silence, contemplating the choice before them. Megan felt irrational anger sponatneously beginning to bubble inside her; at what or who she did not know. She was just tired of the crappy luck it she couldn't seem to shake, and wishing she hadn't gotten out of bed that morning.

Colby looked over at his partner, who was glaring at the diverging path as if it had personally offended her. He sighed.

"I hate to state the obvious, but we can't just pick randomly…and we can't split up either. But going both ways to find the right choice may take hours, considering how long it took just to crawl through this last one."

"So what do you suggest? We flip a coin? We gamble with our lives and leave it up to rock-paper-scissors? " Megan didn't bother to hide her frustration at yet another complication.

And then, out of the blue, the heavy anvil of understanding hit Colby with unpredictable force, and in the dim light of the flashlight, Megan saw the sudden realization spreading across her partner's features.

"We don't have to. We have a map."

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**this cliffhanger isn't asss evil as the last one.....**


	6. Chapter 6

**Next chapter!! Actually, this may be the before last, or second before last chapter in this story, its finally coming to an end!! :/ well, i hope you enjoy (and REVIEW), and i PROMISE il get the next up sooner, especially if its the last chapter....**

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Megan watched, perplexed, as Colby fumbled with something in his jacket pocket, thinking over what he had said. Since when did they have a map? From where? Still unable to make heads or tails of it, her confusion was not cleared when her partner finally pulled out a small marble composition notebook.

"When you told me to take it, I put in my pocket, totally forgot it was even there." He flipped through it rapidly, obviously looking for a certain page.

"But-"

"Got it." Megan was cut off as Colby found whatever he had been looking for, and he passed the notebook over to her.

The scribbles, lines and circles drawn on the page did nothing to enlighten her, or provide the information they apparently provided her partner.

"What should I be seeing here, Colby? I mean, you said it yourself, these are like epileptic kindergarten kid scribbles or whatever."

"That's what I thought, but look," Colby pointed to the big circle in far right corner of the page. "I think this is the shack. This line here is the tunnel we originally found, see how it goes kinda northwest? It's drawn the thickest so, I'm guessing it's probably the main one. And look, not far from where that one ends, there's another entrance, with a tunnel leading straight south, almost back to the shack…that's why he disappeared!" Megan glanced up at Colby, hearing the sudden excitement and understanding in his voice. "The perp, when I was chasing him, he made a turn and vanished…I bet he was running for that tunnel all along, knowing that there was no way we could know about it. And that's why we caught him so off guard, he wasn't expecting anyone to find the first tunnel!"

Megan's eyes darted across the "map", studying it with a critical gaze. What Colby was saying made sense, but there was no way to be sure. "So if this really is a map of tunnels…we just went through this one. And this is where it meets the one we're standing in now. Look, if we go right, it meets another tunnel, which leads all the way back in the opposite direction, so that's no good. If we go left, that leads us…back to the tunnel where you think our perp disappeared, and back to the house."

Their eyes met, both of them thinking the same thoughts.

"We can't go back, we've got to go left. And like you said before, he probably went right back to the shack and high-tailed it out of here. Even if he didn't, well…then that's lucky for us, we get another shot at catching him without having to chase him across the country. But, Colby, with your ankle-"

Colby held up his hands, clearly irritated. "From now on, "Colby's ankle" are the taboo words of the day, with no more discussion about them allowed. Megan, for the umpteenth time, I can handle it."

He regretted his cross words as soon as they were out of his mouth; he knew Megan was just looking out for him and for his own good, something he often overlooked.

Megan smiled wryly, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder to show him that she understood. "At least this time if we start chasing him, I won't be the one left behind."

Colby laughed, the sound strangely flat in the reduced acoustics of the small space.

"What, you won't _carry _me anymore?"

* * *

This tunnel was definitely roomier than the previous, but still not something one could call "comfortable". And they must've been passing through a rockier area, since what had been before an occasional rock every few feet now was something to trip over in every step. This was especially a problem for Megan, as her shoe situation hadn't changed and the increase in underfoot obstacles did not play in her favor. During the last tunnel-trek, Megan had noticed that even though she was still tripping and stumbling just as much because of her annoying (and totally ruined) heels, she wasn't paying as much attention to the issue, as if she had gotten used to it. But now the aggravation was back, and the female agent could feel her already flimsy patience wearing thinner and thinner every time her heel got caught on another rock.

Colby wasn't enjoying the trip anymore than Megan; granted, it was easier to move through than the last tunnel, but the pain in his back had flared up aggressively, inspiring a piercing headache to bloom in his temples. Colby glanced down at his useless right foot, which he now observed had gone completely numb somewhere in the last hour. It might as well have been an unfeeling lead weight at the end of his leg. Though he knew this probably wasn't a good sign, actually, probably a very bad sign, he was grateful that the searing pain that he had been trying to ignore had finally subsided.

Pretty soon, they came to another split, the choice between the two gaping, black entrances providing them a moment to rest.

"What does the map say, Colby?" Megan ran a hand through her tangled hair, groaning inwardly as her fingers met the knots that would be hell to brush out later.

"We take the one on the right, it'll take us straight back to the house." Colby moved the flashlight across the notebook page, trying to decipher the messy drawings.

"Good. I've had enough tunnels to last me a long time."

"Hey, Megan, I'm just gonna take a quick leak. Here, take the map and the light."

Megan watched, slightly amused as Colby limped off into the shroud darkness of the left entrance. "You sure you don't want this?" she asked, waving the flashlight.

"Nah, I'm good, I'm just gonna be right around the bend." The male agent called back as he moved a little further into the left tunnel.

* * *

Colby finished, and leaned against the wall of the dark the tunnel, letting his heavy head fall against the dirt, to the relief of his sore neck muscles. Closing his eyes for a moment, he realized just how much his whole body, not just his ankle and his back, ached.

"I'm gonna need a good soak when I get back."

The words had barely left his mouth when a large shape came flying out of darkness that lined the inside of the second entrance, just a shadow itself. The man hit the agent from behind with swift, silent force, wrapping an arm around his target and slamming him into the dirt wall. A surprised Colby grunted as the air was knocked out of him brutally, but he was trained to react quickly, and he twisted in his opponent's hold, lashing out with his own blow. But his invisible attacker was quicker still, narrowly dodging the powerful swing as fist connected with the agent's right side. Colby could tell that the guy wasn't bigger or stronger than him; he had speed on his side, but not formidable size or power, and Colby could have easily taken him down if it wasn't for the handicap of his broken ankle, a severe weakness. His attacker must have been thinking along the same lines, because as Colby grabbed the man's arm, going to flip him over, an unexpected punch shoved him forward. It was not nearly hard enough to topple the muscular agent over, but it caused him to stagger, unfortunately right onto his injured ankle.

As his entire weight of two-hundred pounds was forcefully pushed onto it, Colby felt his ankle crumple beneath him, sending white-hot sparks of agony through his leg. His vision swam as he hit the dirt floor, the edges of the world going gray and soft as he tried to push past the fog of pain. But his limbs refused to listen to him, and all he could do was fight the urge to pass out as he lay at his assailant's feet.

* * *

**ohhh nooo!! :P**


	7. Chapter 7

**First, let me just say...my humblest, most sincere apologies. :( Things got crazy, and i totally forgot that i never put up the last chapter. And i was looking at my emails, and noticed a message from a reader (thank you Sheaffer!) asking why i hadnt finished. so i rushed over here, and put up the last chapter! so once again, sooo sorry and...read, review and enjoy!**

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After Colby had disappeared around the bend of the second tunnel, Megan thought she heard a suspicious thud, as if something heavy had hit the wall, but she had decided against going to check it out. The sound had been quiet enough to be falling dirt or her imagination. Plus, she didn't want to go barging in on Colby if there was no reason to go barging in. But she had remained alert and tense, with a familiar twinge of foreboding growing in her gut.

Then she heard her partner cry out in pain, a sharp sound barely muffled by the wall of dirt that separated the two tunnels, and Agent Reeves flew on ready feet into the second entrance, hands darting to hover by her gun. But she hadn't even had time to form a solid thought when she collided with a man rushing out of the tunnel, preoccupied with something behind him.

Megan had time to register two things; the man that stumbled backwards was their suspect, in his tattered flannel shirt and overlong-hair, and that he was unarmed, eliminating the possibility of using her gun on him. She couldn't see Colby, but didn't have to time to really look around for him either, as the suspect had recovered quickly from being caught off guard. She nimbly evaded as he launched himself at her, clipping his jaw with her hard fist and managing to wrap an arm under his shoulder to restrain him. But before she was able to secure her hold, he twisted out, whirling around to deal a hard blow to her side that forced to her breath out with a sickening _whoof_. Making herself inhale against the numbing pain, she ducked as he struck out again, only able to hit him with another glancing blow. Suddenly, she felt him grab her wrist and twist her arm back, and though she thrust her leg out hard in a precise kick to the knee, he threw his weight against her, smashing her face into the wall of dirt.

Colby had seen Megan run into the man through the gradually fading mist in his brain, and he had managed to struggle up to his hands and knees as the suspect threw the first punch. He worked at getting nearer as the fight progressed, unnoticed in the darkness of the tunnel by the two focused on each other. Finally, Colby saw his chance as the man threw Megan against the wall of the tunnel, unknowingly turning his back to the hidden agent.

Colby hurled himself at their attacker, steeling himself against the series of explosions he knew would erupt all over again in his destroyed ankle. He pushed the man to the ground, using his bulk to press him down. But the suspect fought back frantically, desperate to fix the situation that had suddenly taken such a bad turn for him. Colby winced as a fist connected with his cheekbone, and saw another hit aimed for his face approaching, but it was stopped mid-arc by another pair of hands.

Megan caught the man's arm agilely, wrenching it back under him as she kneeled on his flailing legs to suppress them. As Colby rolled his own weight off of the guy, she was able flip him over fully, her martial arts training once again coming in to play. The man delivered another blow to her shoulder, but this time, no longer caught by surprise, Megan swiftly punched him the gut, followed by a jab under the chin, before wrapping her arm under his shoulder and around his neck to effectively immobilize him. With her knee in the small of his back, Megan waited as the suspect struggled a couple more times, before finally giving in as he realized that there was no escape.

With a non-to-gentle jerk, Megan pulled the man to his feet, not feeling too guilty about the flicker of satisfaction she felt as she pushed him up against the dirt wall to handcuff. She smiled slightly as she heard him grumbling with his face jammed into the dirt.

"Not very nice, is it?" Still pressing him against the wall, Megan glanced around for Colby, worry seeping through her bubble of smug victory.

Her partner sat limply on the ground nearby, propped up against the wall. The only movement Megan could see from him was the twitch of a muscle in his clenched jaw and the flicker of his shut eyelids as his face twisted in pain.

"Colby, are- "

"Yeah, yeah." Colby groaned. He opened his eyes, averting Megan's anxious gaze and pressed a hand to his sweat-dampened forehead. The dull ache in his temples had now erupted into a full-grown, malicious headache, making his brain feel way too big for his skull. His entire body was ready to embrace the cool, open darkness of passing out, but Colby forced himself to get to his feet, using the wall for support. Slowly, he shuffled over to his partner and their finally-captured perp, moving like an old man after a long day.

Megan scrutinized Colby closely, her sharp eyes taking in his hunched posture, the shine of sweat on his pale features. But she knew that right now, Colby didn't need her to be playing mother hen.

"Thanks. You kinda saved my ass," she said, gratitude mixing with the light-heartedness of her comment.

"Yeah, well you kinda saved mine first. Krav Maga at the Y is not something to laugh at…" Colby mused, before chuckling.

The suspect Megan was holding suddenly chose this moment for another bid for freedom, trying to catch his captor by surprise and twist out of her hold. He kicked Megan hard in the shin, then turned around to try to pull his handcuffed wrists from her unrelenting grasp. But before he had even turned all the way around, his escape was stopped in its tracks by a powerful fist flying towards him. Colby's punch struck him full in the face, and his entire head bounced back from the impact. He crumpled like a rag doll against the wall before sliding clumsily to the floor. Megan didn't loosen her firm hold on him as she kneeled down to check the fallen perp's state. Not surprisingly, he was out cold.

"Nice, Granger, now we'll have to drag him." The female agent joked sarcastically as she straightened up, throwing a disgusted look down at the prone figure at her feet.

Colby managed a laugh, despite how much his head was swimming, but Megan wasn't fooled. She looked over sharply, before crouching down next to the unconscious suspect again.

"We're almost back at the shack, just ten more minutes through the tunnel, and then we call for backup and a medic. You need that ankle looked at as fast as possible." She looked down uncertainly at the man.

"Really, I was joking about dragging him, I'm sore enough as it is. Plus, fireman's carry isn't really my thing." She rolled the guy over onto his back, shaking him a couple times, with no result.

"Here, let me." Colby moved beside his partner, grabbing the suspect and shaking him much more roughly than Megan had. Getting no response, he slapped the man across the face, before hauling him up by the front of his shirt.

"Let's go, Sleeping Beauty. Time to get a move on."

The perp moaned faintly as he was forcibly pulled up and his eyes remained closed, but the fact that he remained standing after Colby let go of him, though swaying unsteadily, was good enough for both agents. Megan began prodding the criminal forward as they continued to make their way toward the shack and the car.

"By the way, I don't think I mentioned this, but you're under arrest."

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A speedy one and a half hours later, a relieved Megan watched as the anticipated two cop cars and an ambulance (Don had wanted to tell the hospital send a helicopter instead for faster aid, but Colby, being Colby, had persistently refused) arrived up the dirt road leading to the shack. Following them was a black government-issue SUV which she knew their worried boss was driving. She looked back out the window at the slumped form of the suspect they had caught, who had been handcuffed around a tree so that the agents could keep a close eye on him from the comfort of their car.

Sighing as she leaned back in the cushiony seat, Megan let her head roll over to the other side, stretching her cramped feet and toes. She had taken off her shoes as soon as she had gotten into the car, throwing the offensive footwear in the backseat so she wouldn't have to look at them. Her feet, now sporting angry red blisters, would need some TLC when she got home.

Colby was stretched out in the driver's seat, muscular arms folded across his chest, fast asleep. He had tried to stay awake to wait for backup with her, but had finally given in to his exhausted body's demands after the first hour. Of course, Megan had gladly let him sleep. Her partner's face was creased with discomfort and the terrible pain from his ankle that had only gotten worse. He had turned down the two Aspirins she had dug out of her purse, because of the severe headaches he got from a normal dose of painkillers, and Megan hadn't had enough of the pills to simply knock him out.

She smiled lightly as he mumbled something in his sleep, his brow furrowing, and felt a rush of friendly affection for her partner. He was a great friend, she mused as she watched the approaching cars rolling nearer. Sure, he was often headstrong and risky, and sometimes his overall laid-back attitude could become annoying, but that was all overshadowed by his courage, loyalty, and kind heart. She could always count on him to have her back, selflessly endangering himself to help her. And Megan knew she would do the same for him, which was what made them such great partners, such a dynamic team.

Megan watched with peaceful content as help finally arrived, the police cars and the ambulance bouncing and jolting along the uneven path to come to a stop in front of their car. Soon her own mind wandered to delight in thoughts of a long, soothing bath and the comfort of her own bed, and Megan couldn't help but think that sometimes, even the bad days had their good moments.

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THE END!


End file.
